HONEY AND SAFFRON RICE PUDDING WITH SESAME BRITTLE

Prep time 15 mins Cooking time 1 hour Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

1 litre milk

500ml pouring cream

Thinly peeled rind and juice of 1 orange 2 cinnamon quills

2 star anise

¼ tsp saffron threads

1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped 180g Arborio rice

100g honey

4 egg yolks

55g caster sugar SESAME BRITTLE

80g honey 80g caster sugar 60g sesame seeds

METHOD

Preheat oven to 150°C. Bring milk, cream, rind and juice, spices, vanilla bean and seeds to a simmer in a 2.5-litre casserole or ovenproof saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in rice, honey and a pinch of salt, cover with a lid, and bake until tender, stirring occasionally to break up the rice, about 1 hour.

For the brittle, stir honey, sugar and 60ml water in a pan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Brush down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush, bring to the boil and cook without stirring until dark caramel, 6-7 mins. Stir in sesame and ½ tsp sea salt, pour onto a lightly oiled tray and leave until set. Break into pieces, store in an airtight container. Whisk yolks and sugar in a bowl until pale, stir into baked rice, then stir continuously over medium heat until thickened, 1-2 mins. Discard cinnamon, vanilla bean and rind, spoon into bowls and serve warm topped with sesame brittle and a citrus salad.